Massaging device

Abstract

A massaging device has an applicator driven by a plurality of driving unit to move along two or more different axes to generate a combined massaging action to be applied to the user's body. A controller holds individual speed data each defining a speed at which each of the driving units reciprocates the applicator along each of the different axes, and to control the driving units to reciprocate the applicator in accordance with the associated speed data. The controller controls the speed of the applicator along one of the axes independently from the speed of the applicator moving along another of the axes. Accordingly, the applicator's movements along the different axes can be free from being interfered with each other even being subject to a load, thereby assuring to continue the combined massaging action.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a massaging device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic views of a massage module employed in the above device;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a human hand massage simulated by the massaging device;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating a massage action performed by the massaging device;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating the applicator in relation to a user's body contour in three-dimensional coordinates;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the massage module;

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate one particular movement of the applicator;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit arrangement of the above device;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a basic operation of the device;

FIG. 11 is a waveform chart illustrating speed data by which the applicator is driven to reciprocate;

FIGS. 12A and 12B are schematic views respectively illustrating a loop path or massage pattern along which the applicator moves;

FIG. 13 is a waveform chart illustrating another speed data;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view illustrating the massage pattern resulting form the speed data of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a schematic view illustrating a changing massage pattern realized by the above device;

FIG. 16 is a waveform chart illustrating another speed data;

FIG. 17 is a schematic view illustrating a progressive massage pattern resulting from the speed data of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a schematic view illustrating the massage action being applied to the user's body;

FIG. 19 is a waveform chart illustrating a further speed data;

FIGS. 20 and 21 are schematic views illustrating a progressive massage pattern resulting from the speed data of FIG. 19;

FIG. 22 is a schematic view illustrating another progressive massage pattern realized by the device;

FIG. 23 is a schematic view illustrating a scheme of ending the massage action;

FIG. 24 is a flow-chart illustrating the sequence of ending the massaging action;

FIGS. 25A and 25B are views illustrating respectively a double loop path to be traced by the applicator and waveforms of the applicators' movements realizing the loop path;

FIGS. 26A and 26B are views illustrating respectively another double loop path to be traced by the applicator and waveforms of the applicators' movements realizing the loop path;

FIGS. 27A and 27B are views illustrating respectively a further double loop path to be traced by the applicator and waveforms of the applicators' movements realizing the loop path;

FIGS. 28A and 28B are views illustrating respectively a still further double loop path to be traced by the applicator and waveforms of the applicators' movements realizing the loop path;

FIGS. 29A and 29B are views illustrating respectively a further double loop path to be traced by the applicator and waveforms of the applicators' movements realizing the loop path;

FIGS. 30A and 30B are graphs respectively illustrating the manner of varying the diameter of the loop path to be traced by the applicator;

FIGS. 31A and 32A are schematic views respectively illustrating massage actions to be applied to the human body;

FIG. 32 is a waveform chart illustrating another control of periodically applying a strong point-pressing force;

FIGS. 33A and 33B are views respectively illustrating a waveform of the applicator's movement and a resulting loop path traced by the applicator;

FIGS. 34A and 34B are views respectively illustrating another waveform of the applicator's movement and a resulting loop path traced by the applicator.

Claims

1. A massaging device comprising: an applicator configured to come into contact with a user's body;a plurality of driving units coupled to said applicator to give different reciprocating movements to said applicator respectively along different axes, thereby generating a combined massaging motion to be applied to the user's body;a controller configured to hold individual speed data each defining a speed at which each of said driving unit reciprocates said applicator along each of said different axes, and to control said driving units to reciprocate said applicator respectively in accordance with the associated speed data;wherein said controller is configured to control the speed of said applicator moving along one of said axes independently from the speed of said application moving along another of said axes.

2. A massaging device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said speed data is time-series data in which said speed is defined as a discrete value which varies sinusoidally with respect to time.

3. A massaging device as set forth in claim 1, further including a speed sensor configured to monitor the speed of said applicator moving along each of said axes,said controller being configured to control the speed of said applicator in a feedback manner based upon the speed monitored with respect to each of said reciprocating movement along each of said different axes.

4. A massaging device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said speed data of the reciprocating movement along one of said axes is configured to give a reverse point which is shifted with respect to time in relation to the reciprocating movement along another of said axes.

5. A massaging device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said speed data of the reciprocating movement along one of said axes is configured to have a reciprocating cycle which is different from that of the speed data of the reciprocating movement along another of said axes.

6. A massaging device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said speed data of the reciprocating movement along at least one of said axes is configured to define different maximum values for forward and backward movements of said applicator, giving different amounts of the forward and backward movements.

7. A massaging device as set forth in claim 1, further including a position sensor configured to detect a position of said applicator reciprocating along each of said exes,said controller being configured to stop reciprocating said application along each of said axes when said position sensor detects the position corresponding to an end position determined for the movement along each of said axes.

8. A massaging device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said end position for the movement of said applicator along one of said axes is selected to a position which lies on a tangent line of a path which is traced by said applicator moving along another of said axes.

9. A massaging device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to start reciprocating said applicator along two of said axes concurrently and to reverse the reciprocating movement along one of said axis while moving said applicator in one direction along the other axis.

10. A massaging device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said speed data for the reciprocating movement of said applicator along two of said axes are configured to vary the speed respectively along sinusoidal curves, one of said sinusoidal curves having a phase shifted by 45° to 90° with respect to that of the other sinusoidal curve.

11. A massaging device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said sinusoidal curves for the respective movements along said two axes are selected to give a loop path having a diameter of 20 mm or less to be traced by said applicator.

12. A massaging device as set forth in claim 10, wherein each of said sinusoidal curves for the respective movement along said two axes are configured to vary at least one of its cycle and amplitude with respect to time.

13. A massaging device as set forth in claim 10, wherein each of said sinusoidal curves is selected to have a cycle of 2 seconds or less.

14. A massaging device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said sinusoidal curves for the respective movements along said two axes are selected to give a continuously coiled loop path to be traced by said applicator, said continuously coiled loop path having a center point moving along one of said two axes.

15. A massaging device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said controller holds additional speed data for reciprocating said applicator along an additional axes perpendicular to each of said two axes, said additional speed data being configured to give a three-dimensional path to be traced by said applicator.